Program: Solo Free Dance part 2

I was telling you that lesson may not be allowed anymore on the ice I'm registered for... and it happened. And my Solo Free dance program is not done yet. Of course I could eventually ask the choreographer to come to another rink, though it may be more expensive, plus time consuming.

One of my main goals for having this program choreographed, was to learn new things, things that are not covered in Moves in the Field or Pattern Dances, both real skating skills but also pretty little tricks. And I have to say that my expectations were exceed! As skating skills I've started learning twizzles and brackets.  I'll also get to improve things I kind of know but haven't work on... like American Waltz 3-turn and the Willow Waltz Mohawk but on the other side... As tricks, I've learned some tap toes (that I was scared off), "chaines" (like ballet) turns, change of edge with hand movement and the step sequence... that combines things I know in a new way.

My second goal was to have something to skate for my own enjoyment... and this was not achieved, at least yet. The choreographer was still working on the steps and elements (counting the beats) but we haven't gotten to put put them on music. Skating on my own music that brought me so much joy with the previous program, will be postponed...  But it's even more then that, I've tried just the first part of the program on music, and I just couldn't feel the music for the American Waltz 3-turn, I've always felt I finished it early. I firstly thought I'm off balance when I turn and I cannot hold it, but I can hold just fine when I'm not on music. Anyway, at some point I've listened carefully the music at the desk, reading the lyrics while trying to identify the beats and marking where the skating elements are, on the beats. Well, well, the lyrics don't follow the beat count... For Ice Dancing there is actually a rule requiring to skate to the beat, not the melody/ lyrics. While I'm sure I can grow into skating my song to the beat, I'm wondering if I'll enjoy it, the music, or it will be just a counting and "working".

My third goal was to eventually test this for Juvenile Solo Free Dance test, the first level of Solos Free Dances. I'm thinking that if I'll see I won't be able to enjoy the process of working on this program (on music) I'll let go of it, work on the new things I've learned, and choose other music for another program.

Anyhow here are parts of choreography:

Left Forward Swing Roll, tap toes, Right Forward Swing Roll, Left Forward American waltz 3-turn, Right Back Chasse, hold the edge and make it a Right Back Outside 3-turn. Left Forward Inside Edge and Right Forward inside Twizzle. The idea here was to have slow steps into the Twizzle... and they are not slow, or if I make them slow I feel hesitant and have small lobes. I think eventually I'll be able to enter into the Twizzle with speed, right?

The next sequence goes into the spiral. After I exit from the twizzle I do CW Forward crossover into a waltz Mowhak, next part didn't fit to the music, so for now I'm thinking continue that with backward chasse, then, there are two European Waltz 3 turns, there is time for more steps, and the pretty change of edge that I do too slowly to be a good entrance into the spiral... so probably all this will be reworked.

The step sequence on lobes:
- Left Forward Inside Bracket
- across the axis... cross behind Right Back Outside edge, cross in front and continue with a Left Back Inside 3-turn
- Right Forward Mowhok/ barrel, so 3 edges, the third one is  Right Back Inside
- across the axis... Left Forward bunny hop, Left Forward Inside 3-turn, Left Chaines
- Right Forward cross roll, Left Forward cross 3-turn
- I may need one more lobe here, as I may be running short and anyhow the music asks for something nice here...

Then few steps into the spin....

So, I'll keep working on the elements and also on sequences without music for now...

Ice Dancing: Hickory Hoedown

As nothing new is happening with my skating these days, I'll write about a pattern dance I've tested and not described yet.

I tested and passed the Hickory Hoedown (the first and easiest of the Bronze level pattern dances) in January 2018. It is quite a long time ago and I'm not sure how well I'll remember my challenges when learning it. I suspect I will remember while going through the steps.

It is a country/ western style dance, and should be danced like a fun, happy dance. But, my coach said that when it was invented, it was meant to be a tango... honestly that makes more sense to me. Maybe you can read in between the lines that this was not a favorite dance of mine. I don't particularly like country music..

Here is the judging form for this dance: https://www.usfsa.org/content/hickory-hoedown.pdf. As always, I will describe the dance in lobes, or groups of steps that stay on the same circle.

Intro steps: four strokes, left right,left, right, starting along the short end of the ring, and planing to start the dance on the long axis (made by hockey dots) of the rink.

The pattern dance:
1.2.3. Left Forward Chasse (1-1-2, total 4 beats)
4.5.6. Right  Forward Chasse (1-1-2, total 4 beats)
7.8.9. Left Forward Progressive (1-1-2, total 4 beats)
10.11. Right Forward Cross Roll (1 beat) Left Forward Slide Chasse, that felt to me like just an inside edge, but it is called chasse because you don't push into it, you just put the left foot down while you point the right foot forward, then you bring the right foot in, outside of the felt knee and kick it out (total 3 beats) I think this is the first spot where I had a little trouble. I had to remember to finish the lobe perpendicularly to the axis and bring the feet together so I can push into the next lobe that is towards the right, the more uncomfortable side...
12.13.14. Right Forward Progressive (1-1-2, total 4 beats)
15.16. Left Forward Cross Roll and Right Forward Slide Chasse with a kick.  (1 and 3 beats, 4 total)
17.18. Left Forward dropped 3-turn  (2 beats) and Right Backward Swing Roll (4 beats). These continue on the same circle as the previous lobe. The 3-turn technique was hard for me at that point in time. For this dance the specific instruction was to start it going towards the end of the rink, not try to go across from the beginning as it felt natural to me. The not so perfect 3-turn seams to be acceptable for this level and I didn't have a comment from the judges. What wasn't acceptable was me rushing everything from this point on. My coach must have told me a hundred times to just finish the swing roll. But up to the present days I'm not 100% on a solid outside edge finishing the backward swing roll and that made me fell insecure to start the next step, so I think I was rushing the swing roll to have extra time to re balance for this next step.
19.20. Left Backward Outside (2 beats) edge, to Right Forward Swing Roll (4 beats). As I said when I described other pattern dances, when you make a mistake, it has a ripple or domino effect, it shows in the next steps.... So doing a solid back swing roll put me in an impossible position to do a strong left back edge (plus I knew it and that added to the frenzy), and that made it difficult to step confidential forward to the next step. And this is where I had the comment from the judge that I was rushing...
21a.21b.22.23. Left Forward Chasse of just two steps not 3 as before, continued with Left Forward Progressive of two steps, not tree. (each 1 beat, 4 beats total). The reason the first two steps are named 21a and b is because the partner does a single step during these.

The first part of this dance (up to the 3-turm) is on a Killian hold (so, side by side) and it goes on a waltz hold for the end of the pattern. Then, during the last lobe, the lady lift the left arm from the partners back and bring it forward (without hitting the partner), to get into a Kilian hold again. I do remember, when I was first learning this dance, this arm change was the part that made me the most nervous. But i have to say, it kind of happen on it's own.

I was quite confident to test this dance, so not nervous. I felt confident enough to fell I can show off a little, so I've made a new dress for it. And... unfortunately I don't have a video of the test.

Test: Bronze Dances (Willow Waltz)

I gave myself an early Christmas present and passed the Willow Waltz on December 23rd. Here is the description of the dance written as I was learning it.This Is the second of the Bronze Pattern dances I tested. The first one is the Hickory Hoedown, that I passes in January. As I was mentioning in a post before, this was a lower key testing session covering dances just up to Bronze Dances. I tested in this session before and I felt less intimidated as there were younger skaters (kids) that weren't stronger skaters than me, testing mostly Preliminary and Pre-Bronze Dances.

Not this time... There were 3 groups of skaters testing Bronze. At my rink kids have to take Preliminary and Pre-Bronze Dances as prerequisite to be in the syncro teams. So they do them while quite young usually in group classes. Then, the majority of them lose interest in dance, as they consider it boring. They come back to it after years, as teenagers, either to improve their presentation in Freestyle, or because they get stuck in Freestyle, or to test towards achieving the Gold medal to put in their collage applications. And that's why there were lots of strong skaters (way stronger then me) on this session, testing Bronze as me.

The weeks before the test I was working into building confidence and presenting. As I was hurt in March and lasted 6 months, I couldn't work on power and extension so I think that made me look a little hesitant. But I felt good and confident the day of the test. Now the test was at 6 pm and while I wasn't nervous I was a little tired from all this holiday preparations. I went half an hour earlier and skated on a public session for 15 minutes. It was crowded and the ice was bad but I've got my knees and ankles soft and I put in some 3 turns and the mohawk. As our session began I found out I was in the first group.

As I stepped on the ice I found myself holding my breath as the teenagers started to warm up fast as the wind. They were all doing the power crossovers. My first thought was "Don't get intimidated...." but as I was watching them, I realized "I can do this...". This power crossovers pattern I prepare for my MITF test and my coach said it's good enough to test, so I let myself go as fast as they went, well, maybe not as fast as them, but fast. And I felt great! Then I warmed up my backward skating as I couldn't in the public session. Then, I was ready to put a solo pattern in and that felt good. There was no music playing, maybe it was for the best, why?, read here. And here is my solo warm up.

As the waltz music was playing my coach partnered me and that felt good too. I was the second one to test. I wasn't nervous, maybe a little hyper. While waiting for the music my coach cracked a joke (like on the previous tests) to relax me. You can see me laughing just before starting (look at my left shoulder). I couldn't think of much during the test, usually, during practices, I could. I was on autopilot and before I knew it the 2 patterns were done. My coach said good job and ran to his next student. I couldn't think of anything that I did wrong. I thought it's gonna be a matter of having shown enough power, as I test standard not adult track. When I've got the test form the only suggestion from the judge was to extend the extensions. I passed with one point over the passing average.  I'll take it!

Test: Pre-Bronze Dances (Swing Dance, Cha Cha, Fiesta Tango)

This was my second test session

I won't go into the details of these dances, I'll come back to them after I go over more beginner stuff.  If you read my view on Figure Skating Levels, I split beginners into Low-Beginners, Beginners, and Advanced Beginners. I find that Preliminary dances correspond to a Beginner level and The Pre-Bronze Dances correspond to an Advanced Beginner level.

I tested these Pre-Bronze dances on March 2017, just 2 months after testing the Preliminary dances. Looking back, I think my skills level was in between Low-Beginner and Beginner. I had no business in testing these... I did pass them at standard track, but I didn't succeed at that point in developing the skills for that level. I also didn't enjoy working at them and I was terrified when I tested. It's all part of the learning experience I guess.

There are many reasons I tested them. I was mentioning that I've learned the first 9 dances, so 3 levels, from a friend during 6 months and it was exciting. Then I started private lessons with a young male coach/partner with whom I continued dancing at the advice of my friend. She was advising from her own experience learning the dances after 40s, 30 years ago. The thing is that then, Ice Dancing was huge as social dancing. She was learning Ice Dancing as a fun and  social activity and she was having lots of fun. It was mostly partnered dancing for her and she developed skills necessary for that (like speed), while counting on the partner to help other skills (like turns). She also didn't do any Freestyle, MITF or Free Dance. Where I'm getting at is that her skating experience didn't translate perfectly to my skating experience. At that point I added private lessons from a young female coach that started me on MITF and started correcting my Freestyle technique. I don't know how my learning experience would have gone with them (the young coaches). Maybe they were too inexperienced to have a methodology and at some point I would have plateaued, but I felt I was learning a lot and I was having fun. And then, they moved away, both of them at the same time, both of them a little unexpected, to follow great opportunities. I continued lessons with an Ice Dance coach that taught both of them, an amazingly accomplished skater and person. Her approach was very different, very methodical. I appreciated the lessons but I didn't settle into them. To keep myself excited and motivated I decided to test, and so I met my current Ice Dancing coach that is a male I can partner with. It was confusing to me on which coach is teaching what. So, confused, bored from doing the same dances for a while, and obviously thinking I've got them, I asked to test and my female coach signed the registration form. My male coach reaction was an obvious surprised one, but he did his best to get me ready.

Driving to the rink on the day of the test I didn't feel as nervous as on the first test. On the first test I didn't know what to expect, now I did. I've got really nervous at the rink waiting for my turn, around an hour. My coach babysat me again. And he used the time to teach me warming up off ice, running the steps of the dances off ice, breathing technique to relax and I suspect he was trying to get my mind off the test.

The warm up: my coach didn't have anybody else testing those dances so he was all the time with me. After 4 min with random music, the organizers played the rhythm for each of the Pre-Bronze dances. And my coach partnered me on each of them. On the Swing Dance music, the first dance of the set, we were the only ones on  ice so I asked him if that is the actual test. He said something that I thought it's yes and I perked up and present it at my best. When I realized it wasn't the test, I felt an adrenaline rush and a panic wondering if I'll have it in me to do it again... for all 3 dances.

The Swing Dance (here is my video from the test), is a longer dance. Its pattern goes around the full rink and you have to do it twice. It's done in a waltz hold and for half the women goes backward and for the other half the man goes backward. I wasn't too good on going backward both on my own and with a partner. As I didn't have enough speed I was feeling push backwards, not comfortable. Going forward with the coach going faster backwards wasn't comfortable either :( I've got passing average points on both technique and presentation and a comment that the dance felt cautious. Yeap, that's exactly how I felt.

The Cha Cha (here is the video) is a dance that goes just forward as the Preliminary ones. So it was my "better dance" from the 3. There was another student testing this, and my coach pull me back to let them go first so I can catch my breath and my composure. Those 10 seconds of resting helped... I've got points over the passing average (testing standard) on both technique and presentation.

The Fiesta Tango: (here is the video) has a quick inside Mohawk on which on the exit edge you keep the free foot at the ankle, you don't extend it. I wasn't used with both he quickness and not using the free leg as a balancing tool. I was usually doing it in practice but now at the test I was spent. I messed it up a little on both passes. I didn't actually mess up the Mohawk but I was slowing down more then acceptable and unable to continue going backwards confidently. My coach practically dragged me! I didn't get passing points on the technical part, but I got extra on presentation (hey, I love the tango rhythm) so the points added up to passing average.

I wasn't happy after the test. The redeeming experience was the yearly rink ice show where for the Ice Dancing number we did the Fiesta tango and I did reasonably well.

Test: Preliminary Dances (Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, Rhythm Blues)

This was my very first test.

I stumbled across a testing session at my rink when I just started my private lessons. I decided to stay and watch. There were maybe 20 skaters and their parents and coaches. It was one adult lady testing  the first 2 dances solo, the rest were kids and teens. I was hit by how nervous was everybody. They were stiff in their dresses, hairdo and makeup. After testing some of them were crying. I decided right then that I'll NEVER test. But, never say never...

As I started to work on dances with my coach, I already knew the steps from a friend and I was bored. I knew the steps from the first 9 dances so 3 levels, but my technique was acceptable just for the first level. I needed to keep working on them to develop the technique for the next levels. To keep myself motivated, my coach suggested to test. She said that the first level is an encouragement test, so I won't have reasons to get stressed. I love fashion and she said that I'll get to dress up. She sign me up and sent me to take a lesson with a male coach that would be my partner for the test. There were just 2 weeks left to the test. In a way it was good, because I didn't have much time to overthink. I took 3 lessons. But I surely didn't feel prepared. I was intimidated and uncomfortable to skate so close to somebody. Plus we were going faster together then I was skating on my own. All these 3 pattern dances from the Preliminary level, are going forward in Killian hold. That means that the skaters are side to side, one of the man arms goes around the woman waist.

My new coach showed me the paper that the judges use for the test. It had two sets of requirements
1. Technique: accuracy, placement, unison, form, cleanness, and sureness
2. Timing/Expression: correct timing, expression of the character of the music
The coach said the technique I have is good enough for this level. I definitely knew the steps. The coach said that's the most important thing. He worked with me on the character of the dances. He said that in his experience even for high level dances, presenting the character of the dance could make a just ok test pass.

My test was in January 2017. Getting close to the testing day I felt fairly nervous. I decided to not think about it. Just let it happen. The dress that I planned on wearing, more precisely the nude tights seemed to be stressing me. I decided to wear black leggings instead, and that actually ended up making me feel not dressed-up, just awkward. I was asked to be at the rink with an hour before my test and I was nervous as i arrived, but standing around, I've got even more nervous.  Both my coaches were there but my partner coach was more aware of my nerves so he babysat me a little... well a lot.  He explained me how to breath deeply to relax, how to warm up a little, he told me to put on the skates just 15 min before and bend into the ankles to warm them up. He said not to think about anything, he'll tell me everything I need to do, including when is my turn. I have to say, it helped a lot.

We had 5 min to warm up on ice, and after the 5 minutes they played the music for every dance. I wasn't nervous at all when I first got on ice, but I was rushing through everything, I got a little tired and stop breathing right, and here I was nervous again. And, I was first to go. The first dance was the Dutch Waltz and here is the video. The second the music started my partner coach asked me something. I don't remember what, something about plans for the rest of the day. I didn't have time to answer but it made me smile and forgot all about nerves. I felt very stiff through the 2 patterns I had to do but I didn't feel I made any mistakes.
Canasta Tango (video here) was next, after 2 or 3 other skaters doing the waltz. It was was my favorite dance from the 3, and I felt I gave it a little more confidence.
On the Rhythm Blues (video) I was fairly relaxed, but also quite spent.
As we were getting off the ice my coach said "good job".

The whole test was done in 10 minutes and the judges sent the papers out immediately. I passed the first two dances with " pass +", the last one just "pass". Was I too relaxed on the last one?

All in all wasn't that bad!

My progress and tests I passed

The first five years of skating, my progress was very slow. I was talking  Freestyle group lesson and the first 2 years I didn't practice at all, later I started practicing  one hour per week. I realized, if I wanted more, I needed more practice time and a better, way better, technique. Just to be proven right about lacking technique, I hurt my left ankle. I stopped doing jumps and spins and as I didn't know MITF (Moves In The Field) exercises at that point, I was  just skating around. An older skater offered to teach me Ice Dancing pattern dances. Unfortunately she was teaching me mostly the steps in the pattern, not the skating basics technique (edges and turns), that is the foundation of ice dancing.

At this point I started some private lessons with a 17 years young lady that I knew from my Freestyle group classes asking her to teach me flow on ice.  She started me on MITF exercises. It was also the first time I went on practice ice, very crowded and intimidating, but eye opening about how young skaters train. Shortly, they take multiple group lessons (Freestyle, MITF and Ice Dancing) and at least one private lesson weekly,  and they practice every day. They are also in the syncro team  for their level, and they meet twice a week for that.

My young coach was a very accomplished ice dancer and she started teaching me a little of the basics. I also got into a Ice Dancing group lesson summer session, that was full during the rest of the year as it's a mandatory class for the syncro teams. The Ice Dancing class instructor was a national  medalist, amazing skater and very thoughtful teacher. Actually my young coach was her student. I did a couple of ice dancing private lessons with the Ice Dance instructor too. Then some private lessons with a young man that was her student, in order to skate the dances with a partner. It was an exciting time, I was discovering so much! It was also a humbling time, as I started to realize I basically didn't know anything about skating :( Then, in the fall both my young coach and young dance partner moved away.

A little over a year ago, in January 2017, I started lessons with my current coach. He is an experienced coach specialized in ice dancing and he also partners his students for ice dance tests.  I approached him asking to help me test the first 3 pattern dances. But I liked his very methodical approach and the fact that he also teaches MITF and Free Style, so I choose to have him as my only coach and to commit to a lesson per week. He first asked me about my goals. I said I wanted to skate better, of course... I wanted to look like the strong skaters I saw at the rink not in terms of jumps but I wanted their flow and confidence on ice. My coach said that that is called "power" and it's very difficult for an adult skater to get. We developed a lesson and training plan following the standard track testing for ice dance and MITF. The focus is in acquiring the knowledge for that level not to pass the tests. I've started to take 2 private lessons and skate 5 days a week. We tried to include FS but I wasn't able to find the time to train it methodically.

So here is were I stand:

Ice Dancing: 
Preliminary pattern dances ( Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, Rhythm Blues) standard, I passed in January 2017
Pre Bronze pattern dances (Cha Cha, Swing, Fiesta Tango), standard, I passed in March 2017
Bronze pattern dance Hickory Hoedown - passed in January 2018. I'm close in testing the remaining 2 dances at this level, when the injury will allow.
Bronze pattern dance Willow Waltz, standard, I passed in  December 2018 (update)
Ice dance is harder than it looks and than I expected. The thinks I'm working on continuously are edges and steps based on edges (chasses, progressives, swing rolls forward and backward), posture, speed and power, dance 3- turns and inside and outside mohawks.

MITF:
Pre-Preliminary, standard, I passed  in March 2017
Preliminary, standard - in November 2017.
I think I'm close in testing the third level, Pre-Juvenile, all the coach is asking is more power.
What this covers is stroking, edges, forward and backward crossovers in different presentations, forward and backward circle 8 edges,  all kinds of 3 turns, each test level asking for a better execution (forward outside and inside 3 turns, power forward outside 3 turns, backward outside and inside 3 turns), forward spirals on outside and inside edge, inside mohawks, power pulls.

Freestyle:
From my group lessons I'm confident in the forward pivot, shoot the duck, lunge... that's it.
With my private coach we covered a little  bunny hops, waltz jump, Salchow, half flip, forward one foot spin, forward scratch spin and we started the backspin.
Adult Pre-Bronze Freestyle test, I passedin March 2019 (update)